Also had the chance to collect a few pix of some work you may not have seen...some at his studio and another group at the current San Antonio Botanical Society's wonderful new exhibit that features pieces by all three generations...Dionicio Rodrigues, Maximo Cortes & Carlos Cortes. It's going on now and is titled "Trabajo Rustico"...Rustic Work. That's what Great Uncle Dionicio called his work. I've put them in an album to share with you all via the link below. Sorry I've not had time to add text, but the first group are from his studio and everything from the "Twig Bench" on were taken at the exhibit. Enjoy...I certainly did.

This is the type of book thats been needed and will be well recieved, I'm sure. Hope all goes well for you.

Yep, that link don't work lol

Sue

Because of the secretive nature of the art it has never caught on with the public as a hobby.

In 8 months I haven't read a single thing here, or anywhere else for that matter, that directly relates to doing Faux Bois outside the context of it being concrete on an armature.
I doubt any book on Faux Bois would be much more than a picture book with very general info about the art itself.
I very much doubt Carlos Cortes is going to give up any of his family secrets. Even Tango is finding his search for Faux Bois info frustrating. Did you ever find either of those two elusive old books Tango?

Faux Bois is a very odd artform indeed.
Concrete ANYTHING is considered an odd hobby by most people.
As anyone here trying to find exotic ingredients knows. Even concrete 'experts' look at you funny when you mention Hypertufa.:)
Mention Faux Bois and they think you've been out in the sun too long.:)

As an example of expert advice...copper slag...it makes very hard concrete and sets up very fast.
One 'expert' tells me it's great stuff for concrete...another tells me to expect the Portland to turn to jelly around the copper slag in about a year.
Now I love copper slag. It allows me to make pitch black shiny very strong concrete.
But I really won't know if there is a chemical reaction until I see it or don't with my own eyes.

By the way, we'd all love to see some pix of the results. Sounds very cool. Damn the experts...full speed ahead.

A book on Faux Bois would likely sell 200 copies max.
Mostly to people reading this forum.:)
I would probably be interested myself.
Because of the secretive nature of the art it has never caught on with the public as a hobby.

******************

I have some suggestions that may or may not work to get the book out to a wider audience. When the book is available, go to your local library and request a copy. Maybe they'll buy one, especially if you can get a dozen or so friends to request it as well.

Also, my local Master Gardener chapter has a pretty extensive collection of books on concrete garden art within their lending library collection and that would be another source to make a request through.

Lots of garden clubs have lending libraries for members and you could either purchase a book to donate to them or request the book through them, again the greater the number of requests the more likely that the book would be purchased.

For those of you who teach classes, having a copy of the book on hand for your students to see would cause some of them to purchase a copy for their own library.

So, maybe 200 books sold isn't such a pipe dream after all.

Anyone got any other ideas?

Jo

As much as I love my concrete...it really is a poor choice for countertops. Fine for outdoor tables & such where discoloration and a few stains add "character", but a lot of folks who are being sold onto concrete for their kitchens and baths by less than knowledgeable designers & installers are going to be less than thrilled with it's performance over time, not to mention it's maintenence intensive nature in those environments. Some of the new gen, super-densified formulations fair much better than conventional concrete and are capable of delivering reasonable service, but unfortunately most of the installations I've seen/read about were pretty much plain, old concrete. A really poor material choice for something that needs to meet food preparation sterility standards on a daily basis. I have a feeling that a lot of folks have been sold a bill of goods by uninformed installers and there will likely be many hundreds of tons of counter tops being torn out over the next few years. Probably at a cost nearly equal to the very expensive installation.

BB just don't let the cat pee on the counter and you should be good to go.;-)

I would also encourage one of you to do likewise with Hypertufa. A compilation of even the basics would benefit and further craft tremendously. It too is a terrific medium and one that I wish I knew more about. If anything, it probably has a much wider appeal than concrete...so go for it. Think in terms of the pleasure and satisfaction you derive from it, and then remember what a struggle you had accumulating the skills necessary to get to where you are today. Share your experience with others. Help them overcome the learning curve that discourages so many people, and get to the point that they too can produce some of the absolutely wonderful and magical things I've seen you folks create here. You and your craft will be all the better for it.

IMO there are really TWO basic types of Hypertufa. Hypertufa for those in zones above 5 or 6, and Tufa for those of us who freeze/thaw our balls, tufa balls that is, all winter.

Then you have to choose a line between tufa and concrete and that could be just a wee bit contentious.:)

I have manufactured and/or installed just about every type of counter top than can be put on. This includes wood, solid-surface (Corian),solid-surface veneers,ceramic tile, plastic laminates (Formica), Stone (any and every type),stainless steel,glass and concrete.

Each and everyone of the tops mentioned have their own set of issues on cost, durability, maintainence and repairing. They all have a set of cons as well as pros. There is not a one that is perfect. There is not a one that is perfect. I had to repeat that because I think thats really the issue. Concrete tops are a very viable product and will last as long as anything I mentioned, IF they are maintained properly AND the consumer is aware of this vital step. Concrete can attain a density of 155 lbs a cubic foot and above. This is comparable to stone and in the case of some, much better. It all depends on your recipe. With the the addition of pozzalans and high-range water reducers the cement will be an extremely durable product.

Cement tops should be sealed with silicone impregnators that are/should be used on stone too. This will make them highly resistant to staining. Not stain proof, just resistant. Even stone and solid surface materials can be stained. The only thing that doesn't is glass and ceramics tiles but then the grout will stain.

So my point is that, I believe that cement counter tops are just as viable a top as anything that is currently being used. Nothing is perfect. No counter top will remain new looking if it's used in any manner over time. The only way to do that is not use them at all and that defeats the purpose. People just have to be aware that EVERYTHING requires some care and maintainence. People who want high end products are going the concrete route because of the looks and durability than can be achieved.

Tango, what you said about "a feeling that a lot of folks have been sold a bill of goods by uninformed installers" has merit though. This is true of many things. It's the people behind the product not the product that can be a problem. There are always a group of folks that will jump on a bandwagon and sell or perform in a substandard manner to make a fast buck. That hurts the professional who is doing their very best every day to give their customers the best product. So to say concrete counter tops are inferior is wrong. It depends on the producer/installer to inform people of all they can about the product. Sorry if this seeme to turn into a rant but I thought what you both said was a bit unfair to the professionals who are making and installing a high quality product.

Also I think that your book will sell very well in different markets Tango. I have many books in my library that though I may never use all the information in them they are a great wealth of inspiration. Your book would be that to people. But to me it would be a great text book as I sure want to learn your craft.

We all need to be informed and inform our customers of all the benifits and limitations of our products. This keeps everyone happier.

Mylamyyy